Car-truck.



W. E. WOODARD. GAR TRUCK. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 10. 1909.

I .934,955, Patented Sept.21,1909.

FIGJ.

1 UNITED S A ES 4 PATENToFF cE.

,WILLIAM E. wooiman, or SGHENE'CTADY, new YORK, AssIoNon r0 AMERICAN oco norms COMPANY, or NEW YORK, N. 1., A CORPORATION or NEwYoR'K;

T 0 all whom it' my concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Eilvoonann, of Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented a certain'new' and useful Improvement in Car-Trucks, of which improvementthe following is a specification; a

My present invention relates to, an'd is a further improvement in, cartrucks ot' the class or ty 'e set forth'in Letters Patent of the Unite States No. 918,807, granted and issued to American Locomotive Company,

a'smy assignee, under date of April 20', 1909',-

' and its object-is to provide means whereby the height of the truek'bolster may be readilyadjusted in order to bring the platfbrms of a car carried thereon to the 'level of station platforms or to vary the height of couphere or steps, 1 The mprovement claimed is hereinafter In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 1s a side view. partly in elevation and partly in section on the line a a ofFig. 3, of-a portion of a truck bolster and spring plank with my improvement applied; Fig. 2,'a partial side elevation of the same; Fig; '3, an end view, partly in section through the lower portions of the swingvhangers andthe adjacent members; F ig- 4, a view. partly in elevation'and partly in transverse section 'on the line b b of Fig. 5, and on'aii enlarged scale, of the adjusting block; and, Fig. 5, a

sideview, in. elevation, of the same.

My invention is herein exemplified as ap plied in connection with a swing or lateral motion truck bolster, 7, which is supported, through the intermediation of pairs of semi elliptic bolster springs, 8, adjacent to its ends, on a spring plank, 9, suspended from the transoms, 2, of the truck. frame, by pairsof swing hangers, 10, the upper ends of which are coupled to upper swing pivots, 11,

journale'din bearings, 11, on the transoms.

The lower ends of the swing hangers-would he, in ordinary prior practice/coupled directly to lower spring hanger pivots on the spring plank. ,v

In the practice of myinvention, the lower swing hanger pivots, 13, are, as heretofore pivotally connected to the lower ends of the swing hangers, but the connect on, of the pivots, 13, to the spring planlq; 1S -efiected through the inter-mediation o'f interposed ad justing devices, as now to be dscrihed. Lonof the lower swing hanger pivotsyll-l, is made Specification of Letters Patent. Patentd-Sept. 21, 1909. I Application filed lay 10,1909. Seri1No. 195 ,083., i i a i gitudinal slots, 1th, areffonned inthe swing hangers, extending upwardly, from the holes ends, extend into t e' slots,'10. The end portions of the bearing pins are squared or flattened. to fit in the slots, being therebys prevented from turning therein, and the pins i .''are shouldered adjacent to said end portions, '80 as to preventmovement transversely'to the swing hangers."

As the spring plank bears on the bearing pins, 14, the weight carried iupon'the spring plank and the bolster, 7,is'transmitted to the swing hangers through, said bearing p1ns,and"accord1ng ly' as the vertical dis tance between the axes of said pins and those greater or less, the'sprmg plank and holster will be 'e'orrespo'ndin ly raised or lowered, as the case may be; n order to enable. such variation of vertical distance to be readily inade when-desired, I provide a rotatable adjusting block, 15, through which the pres sure ofthe weight acting on the bearing pins, 14, is transmitted to the lower swing hanger pivots, 13. The adjusting block, 15, comprises a segmental body, fitting freely artgind the lower portion of the pivot,-13, an two end portions 01 heads, each having tat-plurality of peripheral notches or recesses, 16, curved to receive the bearing pins, 14-, which notches are disposed eccenlzricall to the axis of the block, that is tosay, at'gradua'lly increasing distances therefrom, as

distance between themes of the pi-vot, ].3'

and bearing pin, 14, aswill enable the spring plank to be set atthe height desired.

When it is desired to vary the height of the bolster, car platform, or eoupler. the

spring plank is raisedby means of jacks,

correspondingly raising the bolster and car body, and releasing the weight on the ad 105 justing blocks. As the spring plank is elevated, it carries with it the hearingpms 14, and whenit has been brought to the proper height, the adjusting blocks are turned on the pivots, 13, and the hearing pins fitted in 110 I so i the notches of the adjusting blocks which will enable the bearing-pins to restat this level.- The adjustingblocks shown in the drawings are provided with seven sets of notches, which are designedto'admit of a variation in height of the bolster-.of one and one half inches, 'by successive steps of one quarter inch each. A greater or lessmnmber of notches may, of course, be used.

It will be seen thatany lateral motion of the bolster is transmitted to the swing "hangers by the bearing pins, 14, and as the squared ends of the pins fit the slots of the han ers, there is no tendency of the adjusting "locks to be rotated or turned over by lateral thrust. The shape of the periphery of the adjusting block isvsuch that should anincorrect adjustment be made, and the bear: ing pins belallowed to settle on the blocks at points otherthanthe notches, the blocks Wlll automatically slip around until the pins rest in the notches. l I I t I claim"asm'y invention-and des re to secure by Letters Patent: I 1. In a car truck, the combination of frame transoms, a swing or lateral motion bolster, swing hangers by which said bolster 1s suspended from the transoms, and rotatable ad- .justingblocks provided with eccentrically disposed vend bearings and interposed between the swing hangers and the, bolster.

J. In a car truck, the combination of frame transoms, a swing or lateral motion bolster,

a spring plank on which said bolster is spring supported, swing hangers plvotally connected to the transoms, and rotatable adjusting blocks provided with eccentrically. disposed end bearings and interposed between the swing hangers and the. spring plank. a t

3. In acar truck, the combination of frame transoms, a swing or'lateral bolster, a spring plank on which said bolster is spring supported, swing hangers pivotally connected to the, transoms, a bearing pin supporting the spring plank and fitting, with the capacity of relative adjustment, in the spring hangers, and an adjusting block, fitting rotatably in the swing hangers, and'provided with eccentrically' disposed end bearings which support the bearing pin.

- 4-. In? a car truck, thecomblnationof frame transoms, a swing or lateral motion bolster,

a spring plank on which. said bolster is spring supported, swing hangers pivotally connectedto the transoms and having longitudinal slots adjacent to their lower ends, a

fitting inthe slots of the swing hangers, a lower swing hanger pivot fitting in the swing hangers below the slots thereof, and an ad-.'

. 5. In a car truck, the combinatllonof frame transoms, a swmg or lateral motion bolster,

*hearing pin supporting the spring plank and a spring plank on which said bolster is spring supported, swing hangers pivot-ally;

' connected to the transoms and having long1 tudinal slots adjacent to their lower ends, a

hangers below the slots thereof, and an ad-.

justing block rotatable about said pivot, and having a' plurality of periphralnotchesdisposed at different distances from itsaxis, for the support of the bearing pin in different adjustments of the block.

4 6.. An adjusting blockfor truek'swing hangers, having a tubular body adapted to fit a swing hanger pivot, and'a plurality of lingitudinal peripheral slots, disposed atdifferent distances from its axis, to receive at bearing pin. I i p WILLIAM E.'WOODARD. Witnesses CHARLES J Roenns, FRANK H. SAU rER.

hearing pin supporting the spring plankgand 

